Blog

26 April 2019

Electrostatic charges in the laboratory: risks to safety and hygiene

In the laboratories of some areas of work, such as pharmaceutical laboratories, chemistry laboratories, biomedical engineering, hygiene is very important. Keeping these places clean and sanitized is not only of help  to ensure a good working environment, free of dirt and dust, but it is also indispensable, as impurities can negatively affect the results of important examinations and tests.

Precisely for these reasons, electrostatic charges should not be underestimated, because objects that are statically charged are an attraction factor for dust and dirt (just think of rubbing a balloon with clothes), therefore they would put hygiene in the laboratories at risk.

Static or triboelectric electricity is the electrical charge acquired by a body by rubbing. The main factor of this mechanism is the transfer of electrons from one body to another. The phenomenon with which the charge is dispersed or the charge is neutralized is called electrostatic discharge, ie the passage of charges from an electrified body to a body having opposite charges. We recall that in many sectors, as in the microelectronics sector, an electric discharge, even a small one, can cause substantial damage to the components.


Grendene Gref series: the safe laboratory chairs

As we have said, laboratories, whether they are medical, engineering or electronics, have very high requirements with regard to hygiene and safety and this certainly has a great influence on the equipment and furnishings of these environments. A good laboratory chair, therefore, must have a hygienic design, with material that is easy to clean, and a structure that avoids contamination of any kind from the seat to the backrest to the castors.

A chair is also one of the objects that is moved the most, so it is essential to prevent the accumulation of electrostatic charges produced by rubbing. The chairs created by Grendene are safe with regard to the ESD theme because they are made with upholsteries and parts with safe conductivity, which guarantee the correct dispersion through their components. Gref is the division of Grendene Chairs born with the strong mission to promote and guarantee the safety of people exposed to electrostatic charges in EPA areas.

Gref antistatic chairs and stools are products engineered and built in compliance with the international IEC 61340-5-1 standard to be used in controlled static electricity environments.

  • They prevent the formation of electrostatic charges on the body of the seated person, despite his movements
  • They guarantee the connection to earth through the floor by discharging the static that may have accumulated on the body of the person himself.

Choosing a Gref chair from Grendene you will not have impurities in the laboratory and any electrical discharges will be prevented, to work more safely and efficiently.

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